Intern Hiring Falls 3.4 Percent

BETHLEHEM,
PA—While employers plan to hire 1.3 percent more bachelor’s degree-level interns in 2014 than they did a year ago, overall intern hiring will fall 3.4 percent in 2014 from last year, according to results of a new survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

NACE’s 2014 Internship & Co-op Survey found that nearly 97 percent of responding employers plan to hire interns during 2014. However, despite the increase at the bachelor’s-degree level, cutbacks in internships among associate, master’s, and doctoral-degree students account for the overall drop. (See Figures 1 and 2.)

Still, employers in several industries do plan to hire significantly more interns in 2014, including those in miscellaneous professional services; accounting services; retail trade; food and beverage manufacturing; information; and finance, insurance, and real estate.

About the 2014 Internship & Co-op Survey: NACE’s 2014 Internship & Co-op Survey was conducted from November 18, 2013, through January 24, 2014. The survey was sent to 1,116 NACE employer members; 264, or 23.7 percent, took part. More than 20 industries were represented. By region, 22.7 percent of respondents were from the Northeastern United States; 25.8 percent were from the Southeast; 33.0 percent were from the Midwest; 17.8 percent were from the West; and 0.8 percent were from outside of the United States.